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Visiting schoolchildren cheered as the volunteers made their way down the ramp. Credit: RNLI

Exeter school children had to cut their visit to a lifeboat station short after crews received an emergency callout.

The 48 children from Exminster Primary School were evacuated from the building when pagers sounded to alert volunteers of the incident. As they raced to the boat the school group cheered the team on as it launched into the sea.

The crews then raced to the scene where a 27ft motor cruiser was reporting difficulty having become entangled with a pot buoy. A floating rope, attached to a pot buoy, had wrapped itself around the steering mechanism.

Lifeboats from Fowey, Looe and Plymouth are aiding the search Credit: Steve Parsons/PA

Crews searching for a missing fishing boat in the sea off Plymouth have discovered some wreckage.

The alarm was raised last night by the father of one of the two people on board the scalloper, the JMT, They had gone on a fishing trip near Eddystone. Lifeboats from Fowey, Looe and Plymouth as well as the Royal Navy search and rescue helicopter from Culdrose

The RNLI has cancelled Saturday's Slipway Slide event that was due to take place in Plymouth at the weekend.
It's taken the decision because of the weather forecast for Saturday which could have made using the slide unsafe.

The RNLI Slipway Slide - no longer coming to Plymouth Credit: RNLI

The charity says that it's informed people who were due to take part. At the moment it's not able to offer an alternative date.

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RNLI lifeguards on their way to rescue a surfer who got into difficulty in strong currents at Perranporth last August Credit: RNLI

The RNLI has had its busiest year since 2011.

Volunteers across the south west have rescued nearly 1,700 people and saved more than 100 lives, according to the latest figures.

Between them, they've spent the equivalent of 406 days at sea. In total, the charity launched lifeboats more than 1,500 times in 2014.

The most common call out was to respond to sailing boats.

The most common call out was to respond to sailing boats. Credit: RNLI

Without lifeboats and lifeguards in the south west, 110 people would've lost their lives last year. It's wonderful that we've managed to do that but obviously there is work that we as an institution need to do to educate, influence and supervise as well as to rescue.

Joe Holtaway was rescued a mile south of Marazion beach Credit: ITV News

A man who paddled out to sea as the sun set spent six hours clinging to his board before being rescued by lifeboats in Cornwall.

Joe Holtaway left his clothes and bicycle on the beach at Marazion before heading into the water as it was a "beautiful evening".

He entered the sea with his paddleboard at around 6pm, but drifted so far out he could not return to the shore.

Mr Holtaway's family reported him missing at 8pm and a search operation was launched.

Police were also called by a local woman after she noticed a bike and clothing left on the shore.

Coastguards initially scoured the scene, along with a RNLI Penlee lifeboat and helicopter, but Mr Holtaway could not be found.

Three hours later, at 11pm, the RNLI Penlee lifeboat found Mr Holtaway a mile south of Marazion beach.

He was taken to Newlyn harbour by the lifeboat then conveyed to hospital by ambulance and treated for hypothermia before being released.

In a message posted on the RNLI Penlee Facebook page, Mr Holtaway wrote: "It was a beautiful evening in Marazion, I paddled out on my board in the sunset and drifted further/got colder than I could get myself back to shore from.

"Six hours later the lifeboat took me onboard, and brought me in. Much love, respect and admiration for everyone who was on the beach, the emergency services, my friends and family (all are family.x)."

Mr Holtaway later uploaded a picture of himself drinking tea in a mug at home to his personal Facebook page.

His brother, Ben Holtaway posted: "Joe has been found alive, spent 5 hours at sea but now ok in hospital. Thank you to the Penlee Crew for finding him. Superstars."